What happens during an
acupuncture treatment?Many people may be
unfamiliar with what exactly
takes place in an
acupuncture session.
Wondering what happens
during treatment, how many
visits may be needed and
whether health insurance
covers it are all common
concerns. In a typical first
visit, a practitioner will
take a detailed health
history, fully investigate
your chief complaint and
provide acupuncture for you.
This may take up to an hour
and a half but is necessary
to create an individualized
treatment plan that takes
into account your present
physical, emotional, and
nutritional condition, while
focusing on your main health
concern. Acupuncture is the
insertion of very fine
needles (the width of two
human hairs) into specific
anatomical points. Return
visits to an acupuncturist
may also introduce the
option of Chinese herbal
therapy. Chinese herbal
therapy reinforces
acupuncture in a natural way
without side-effects. The
two are often used together
to strengthen the effects of
treatment and to achieve
longer-lasting results in a
shorter amount of time.
How does it work?Currently, there are a
number of theories as to how
exactly acupuncture works.
It was once thought that
inserting needles into
specific parts of the body
affected nerves and could
inhibit their signal
transmission. This was
thought to explain why
acupuncture could treat pain
so well. But when doctors
mapped the acupuncture
points over the known nerve
network they found that
there was some correlation,
but not nearly enough to
explain most of its effects.
Another theory stated that
acupuncture stimulates the
release of opioids and
endorphins in the central
nervous system. Although
this could explain certain
analgesic effects, it could
not explain many others. The
most current theory
speculates that acupuncture
points are actually
strategic conductors of
electromagnetic signals
throughout the body.
Stimulating points along
these pathways influences
neurotransmitter rates and
resets the polarity of
different parts of the body.
This latest theory is by far
the most comprehensive and
most promising explanation
for why acupuncture works in
Western medical terminology.

Does it hurt?Acupuncture in general
is not painful. The needles
are extremely thin (about
the width of 2 human hairs),
solid, disposable and
flexible. Sensations that
patients normally experience
are a dull ache or tingling
which is associated with the
movement of energy
stimulated by the insertion
of the needles. This is a
desired affect and should
not feel painful.

How many visits will I
need?The number of visits you
will need depends on several
factors. One is how long you
have had your current
condition. Acute conditions,
like a cold or flu will
generally only require one
or two treatments.
Conditions that are more
recent, like sudden pain
from an injury or seasonal
allergies may require 3 or 4
treatments before symptoms
are reduced. Chronic
conditions like PMS, asthma,
back pain or other problems
that you have had for many
years may take anywhere from
4 to 10 treatments until you
notice significant changes.
At your first visit, your
acupuncturist will take a
detailed health history and
will determine an
appropriate treatment plan
based on your signs and
symptoms and the findings of
that visit.